The BJP is all set to retain Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and will eject the Congress from power in Delhi and Rajasthan.

Seen as the semi-finals to the 2014 general elections, the results of Assembly polls in five states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram - should be encouraging for the principal opposition party, BJP.

An India Today-ORG post-poll survey, conducted in four of the five states that went to election in November-December, shows a clear edge to the BJP over the Congress, which happens to be the ruling party at the Centre and three states, including Mizoram.

Ashok Gehlot

Gehlot faces anti-incumbencyThe anti-incumbency factor was apparent in Rajasthan, where the Congress's Ashok Gehlot government looks unlikely to retain the power. The Congress is expected to suffer a 4 per cent fall in its vote share from 37 per cent in 2008, resulting in a loss of 34 seats to 62 in the 200-member House.

Vasundhara Raje

The post-poll survey shows the BJP as the clear gainer as it is likely to increase its tally from 78 to 110 with the help of 4 per cent swing of vote share in its favour. The overall tally of the other parties and Independents is also likely to increase by two seats to 28.

However, BJP's Vasundhara Raje failed to impress much as the favourite chief ministerial candidate as she got only 41 per cent votes of the 4,490 respondents approached by India Today-ORG. Gehlot followed closely with 39 per cent votes, while only 10 per cent people wanted to see Kirori Lal Meena as chief minister.

Shivraj in control of Madhya PradeshMost of the opinion polls showed the ruling BJP having an upper hand in the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh. Though the ruling party looks all set to hold it right, the post-poll survey shows it might suffer a loss of five seats as its tally might slip to 138 in the 230-member Assembly.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan

The fall in its seat tally is likely despite an increase of 3 per cent in the vote share of the ruling party to 41 per cent. The Congress on the other hand is likely to increase its vote share by 4 per cent to 36 per cent, leading to a jump of nine seats to 80, still too short to dethrone Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

All set to make a hat trick in MP, Chouhan emerged as the most favourite chief ministerial candidate with 61 per cent of around 4,500 respondents voting for him. Congress's youth face - Jyotiraditya Scindia - finished a distant second with 25 per cent votes, while party general secretary Digvijaya Singh looked irrelevant in the state politics with a meagre 5 per cent votes.

Raman Singh's hat-trick in ChhattisgarhThe majority of opinion polls had suggested a close fight between the ruling BJP and the main opposition party, Congress. Some even showed that Chief Minister Raman Singh might suffer a setback, but India Today-ORG post-poll survey suggests he is all set to make a hat trick in the state affected by Maoist violence.

Raman Singh

The post-poll survey shows BJP's vote share increase from 40 to 42 per cent, gaining three seats in the process. The ruling party is projected to get 53 seats in the 90-member House. The Congress on the other hand might lose five seats to finish with just 33 even as its vote share remains unchanged at 38 per cent.

Raman Singh emerged as the clear winner among the chief ministerial candidates of the state with 50 per cent people of 3,750 respondents favouring him. Congress's former chief minister Ajit Jogi could secure just 24 per cent votes, while Union Minister and state party chief Charan Das Mahant got only 9 per cent votes.

Harsh Vardhan most popular in DelhiThe anti-incumbency factor is clearly working against the Congress in Delhi as the three-time Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, not only seems to be conceding power to main opposition party BJP, but might even lose election from the New Delhi constituency to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal.

The post-poll survey predicts a clear victory for the BJP, giving it 41 seats in the 70-member Assembly, ahead of 20 for the Congress and six to the AAP. The other parties and Independents' overall tally is also likely to fall from four in 2008 to three.

Harsh Vardhan

The BJP's gain of seats comes despite a loss of 1 per cent vote share as it is the Congress which is likely to face a sharp decline in its vote share to 30 per cent from 40 per cent five years ago. Contesting its maiden election, AAP might show a healthy 20 per cent vote share, which is likely to get it six seats.

Among the three leading chief ministerial candidates BJP's Harsh Vardhan came out as the most popular leader. Out of nearly 3,000 respondents 37 voters said the BJP leader should become the CM. The incumbent finished at number two with 29 per cent votes, followed by Kejriwal at 25 per cent.

Narendra Modi effectThe post-poll survey results would certainly be a big boost to the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as the Congress and other parties have often targeted him saying the saffron party lost wherever he campaigned in the past.

The Gujarat chief minister had extensively campaigned in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Chhattisgarh in the run up to the Assembly elections.